Linguistics
There are a vast array of languages among the peoples of Veria, many of them vastly different from one another, others more like far-flung dialects. Many languages are particularly spoken by an individual race, others by a particular nation or sect. This page gives the language, what race or nation it is connected to traditionally, a basic idea of what it's like, and some terms commonly used in the language. Arcorese Arcorese was the native language of Vaszentet Arcorven, in the far North-West of Thogenar. It is a dying language, though still spoken in the high mountains of that area. Interestingly, Arcorese is very similar from the language spoken by the native humans on Selemond. Contaeric Contaeric is the language of the Altamont of Contaero. An ancient, unchanged language, its scope is rather limited due to the insular nature of the civilization. However, for matters relevant, it is thorough and precise. Terms Ko - Hello Sa - Goodbye Khaa'khoa - The Altamont goddess, also refers to the Sun. Hhyosho - Light Lhiiroho - Cliffs Slihi - Ice Coronian Novan According to legend, Novan was the language handed to Orris by his goddess Joviluu to further unite the Coronian peoples. More likely, in the eyes of many, it was a tribal language spoken by a native tribe that was heavily flavored by Hevanic and Salt Folk languages spoken by settlers. Nowadays, it is more similar in structure to Sea Cant than any of the Hevanic languages spoken by its neighbors. Terms Heu - Hello Vali - Goodbye Soli - The Sun Lume - Light Soliume - Sunlight Niclume - Artificial light (fire, magic, etc.) Deralume - Lighthouse (literally 'high light') Tenbri - Darkness Umbus - Total Shadow Intumbus - A strong deragatory term. Outside the light of the Goddess. Literally "within total shadows" Jenumbus - Farland Shade. Literally "great shadow" Creudynian Creudynian is the language of Uralom , and thus one of the most widely spread languages in the world, if not the most widely spread. It is considered the most "pure" form of the Creudynian family of languages. Throughout Southern Thogenar, excluding Hofeai, it is the nearly exclusive language. Terms V' - Prefix denoting a city Ul - Province Thorneur -Term for Midlands and Manoryms (Literally "Northern Lands of Divided Barbarians) Sephneur - Term for Malkut and Taled (Literally "Southern Lands of Divided Barbarians) Daiga Daiga is the common tongue in the nation of Redtree. While, like most Western-Midland langauges, it descended from Low Hevan, it is by far the most divergent - linguists point to included elements perhaps being from derivative Creudynian languages. Terms Tashka - A piece of wood from a Bloodwood Tree. It is customary, after the rites of initiation, for youths to receive one of these as a gift, traditionally from a tree found in their home community. However, they are as equally meant as a weapon as they are a symbol of adulthood - Bloodwood is known for its incredible hardness and density and a Tashka can easily split skulls and crack bones. Dazi Dazi is the native tongue of the nomads of the Dazjadt Desert. While in modern times mostly entirely surplanted by Creudyn, there are a few hold out tribes that retain their language exclusively. Apart from this, many of the nomad tribes and merchants of the Dazjadt coast retain some knowledge of the language for use as code. Feltongue Though a rough form of Ghraemagretcht is spoken throughout the Nightlands as a common language, the Fallen speak in a 'corrupted' version of Nurodir, with some words and grammar borrowed from Ghraemagretcht and a twisted form of the Hevannic language taken from the Bachmi. Most of the Bachmi in the Nightlands speak this language, as well, though some 'Nightsider Hevannic' still presides with the elderly in ceremonies. Terms Ghraemagretcht The primary language of the Ghraetetcheckt and therefore the major language of those living in the Nightlands. It is a harsh language, with many hard consonants combined in peculiar ways, and the trademark 'doubled vowels'. Because of how the Ghraethetcheckt mouth works, and the fangs, several particular sounds are absent from the language. This language is also notoriously hard to learn, and 'proper' pronunciation is simply impossible for non-Ghraethetcheckt due to the difference in physiology. Similarly, Ghraethetcheckt tend to have difficulty learning and pronouncing other languages. Another odd feature is the horrendously complicated division of gender-based pronouns and familial nouns. This is, of course, due to the triplicate genders of the Ghraethetcheckt. Due to the coming of the Fallen, they have managed to come up with the new words 'Maal' - male and 'Feshmaal' - female. Terms Duur' - Denotation of association with Abyss Ru' - Denotation for large predatory birds Qaal' - Greeting/Goodbye denotation. Q' - Denotation for long and flexible things, such as rope, vines, and serpentine animals. Hevan "Hevan" is the script and speech of the Hevanni. When the house of Mithras took over ruling the tribes of Mithrassen, they took their language with them. Hevan is nearly entirely spoken only by the nobility of Mithrassen, the commoners speaking the simpler "Low Hevan". Compared to Low Hevan, Hevan is an incredibily complicated and nuanced language, with many words on the surface appearing to mean the same thing but in truth having subtle differences. Terms Khalrun - A Great and Terrible Vengeance, declared Infinite Talaradem - Human Hrasht Hrasht is the language on Aphisaad. Terms Sech - Nation Iolan Iolan is the native langauge of the nation of Iolos, a stem language of Low Hevan and perhaps most similar to that language out of its descendent languages. Iolan also, however, took a good number of terms from Trollish and the Sea Cant, giving it its own unique direction. Terms Lazek Lazek is the language spoken amongst the Shenjaren Terms Kalmaeni Kalmaeni is the language spoken in Kalmaen. It is one of the "Low" dialects of Creudynian, along with Kolveccan, comparative to "Middle Creudynian" and the pure "Creudynian". Apart from Kalmaen, a very similar, if more archaic form of the language, can be found in the highlands of Northern Thogenar. Terms Kal - Nation, Country Kolveccan Kolveccan is the language spoken in Kolvecca. It is one of the "Low" dialects of Creudynian, along with Kalmaeni, the low dialects being spoken mainly by the Kreynos, comparative to "Middle Creudynian" and the pure "Creudynian." Terms Kol - Nation, Country Low Hevan "Hevan" is the script and speech of the Hevanni race. When the house of Mithras took over ruling the humans of Mithrassen, they took their language with them. A more simplified version of Hevan became the Low Hevan spoken throughout Mithrassen by the common people. Terms Tal'dem - Human Middle Creudynian Middle Creudyn is a term for the style of Creudynian that is spoken in the Midlands. It is a seperate language but shares the same structure and many similar words. Middle Creudyn is spoken among and is the main language of the Csarvardyn. It is spoken in Uldos and Ulkar - although the two versions have different accentation, they are mutually intelligible. Terms Ul - Nation, Country Nightsider Hevan A corrupted form of High Hevan spoken by the Bachmi living in Ine. Some of the Bachmi in the Nightlands speak this language as well, but there it is more of a language of ceremony. Nurodir Nurodir is the language spoken amongst the Takiel-En and Takiel-Ruh of the Dark Isles. It is clearly a derivative of the Zemellar language of Zemellar'Otha, but has some other aspects that scholars puzzle over. Some of these aspects can be linked to the Creudyn language (which makes sense as the Takiel inhabitants of Nurodir originally came from Creudyn held lands), but also has other elements that some suggest are totally new inventions, while others excitedly suggest a return of a "pre-Otha" Takiel tongue. Terms Osha - Tongue, Language Q' Sledaagretcht Though the Sledaamaen are incapable of speech, they have their own associated symbology, a code that no one is really sure what to make of. Symbols Sea Cant The Sea Cant is the common language of the various Salt Folk states on the Seabreak Coast. It has a large variety of differentiation from city and city and town to town. While more eloquent and descriptive phrases will sound very different in different states, the very basic and vital phrases are readily understandable to all. Basic phrases from Sea Cant are familiar to well travelled merchants and sailors the world over, being a lingua franca among these classes. Terms Aljan - Captain of Captains, Noble, Community Leader Dar - House Grunav - Storm Havnan - City Jan - Captain, term of respect (similar to "Sir") Kaldarr - Admiral, Important Noble Nikkin - Fire Poed - Tree San - Cat, Feline Tar Kaldarr - High Admiral, King Taro - Wolf, Canine Trule - Troll Ubed - Ice Ul - Whale Unel - Snow Vanoy - Boat Varl - Man Ven - Woman Vet - Ocean, Sea Voryi - Mountain Silvrene Silvrene is the native language of Silvern. It shares more than a few similarities with Low Hevan, having stemmed from that language, and thus also has a few similiarities with Iolan Terms Trollish The language of the Trolls is spoken throughout the Trollhaven Mountains. It is vaguely uniform without, though with a very wide variety of accents and local terms. The Troll tongue is also sometimes found outside of Manorym in the context of words from it often being used as slang between mercenaries, due to the large relative percentage of Trolls in that profession. Terms Enngevin - A term for where there is no direct translation. It is very often mis-translated as "Kingdom of" - however, a closer translation would be "The Dominance of". It refers to something or someone having a certain measure of influence in an area to the point that others must bow to their decisions. For example "Enngevin Goldfang" would refer to the lands in which the Goldfang tribe is the most venerable, powerful and influential - although other clans might live here, larger political decisions would be made by the leader of Clan Goldfang. Karh - Wolf Ymgarian The language of the Ymgaré is inherently difficult to master, for the tone and pitch of words has just as much meaning as the word itself, meaning the same word could have positive or negative meanings. These subtleties are best understood when the language is communicated underwater, though the specifics of the language are less well comprehended there. Terms Hmlai - Reference to the Heavens, or the Stars. Also used to denite to Celestial objects Luyemm - Can be interpreted, depending on pitch, as "Tribe" "Clan" or "Family" Nal - Ocean, Sea, Expanse Kuh - Black, Deep, Abyssal Zemellar'Otha Zemellar'Otha (Tongue of Zemellar) is the language of the jungle continent of Zemellar . Otha is spoken throughout the continent, regardless of race, making Zemellar rather unique in this regard. Otha originated among Zemellan scholars and writers. It was then shared with the Takiel races, in an attempt to keep Zemellar united in the case of invasion. Today, Otha is still spoke in all parts of the continent and is understood. The Zethar and Takiel do speak it with very different inflections, accents and certain terms, leading some to speak of North Otha and South Otha, but the two races can still easily understand each other. The Creudyn of Zemellar, when not speaking Creudynian, speak Otha in their own particular manner. Terms Jalmai - Home, Dwelling-Place, Nation Laa - Fire, flame Ner - Island Uda - Shadows, Darkness Otha - Tongue, Language